Category: Parent Association

Taste of Traditions: A Saklan Family Celebration

What tastes and traditions make your family feel at home?

This fall, we’re bringing our Saklan community together for Taste of Traditions, a special evening celebrating the many cultures, experiences, and traditions that make our community unique.

Join us on Saturday, October 17, from 5:00–7:30 p.m. on the Saklan Sports Court for an evening of food, music, dancing, stories, and connection.

Join the Table

There are many ways to be part of the celebration:

  • Bring a dish with personal or family meaning. Homemade and store-bought contributions are equally welcome.
  • Share a story, artifact, tradition, or song that is meaningful to your family.
  • Help with setup, welcoming families, or cleanup.
  • Come simply to enjoy the evening, connect with friends, and celebrate our community.

Whatever you choose, we hope you’ll join us at the table! Please use the button below to RSVP by Monday, October 5th.

RSVP for Taste of Traditions Here!

Please label all food contributions with ingredients and known allergens. Taste of Traditions is a family event, and children must be accompanied by a family member or designated adult.

We can’t wait to gather, share, and celebrate the traditions that help make Saklan feel like home.

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanPA

Parent Ed: ADHD Is Awesome

Parenting a child with ADHD can be exhausting, frustrating, and unexpectedly joyful — sometimes all before breakfast.

The forgotten assignments. The emotional whiplash. The intense focus on exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. Families living with ADHD know that the same brain that creates real challenges can also bring creativity, humor, energy, and a distinctive way of seeing the world.

In this lively and refreshingly honest talk, viral creators and New York Times bestselling authors Kim and Penn Holderness share what they have learned from living, parenting and working with ADHD. Both diagnosed with ADHD, they bring firsthand experience, plenty of hard-earned perspective and the humor that has made The Holderness Family a favorite of millions.

Drawing from their book “ADHD Is Awesome,” Kim and Penn will unpack what is actually happening inside the ADHD brain, why common parenting approaches can backfire, and how families can work with ADHD instead of constantly fighting it. This is not about pretending ADHD is easy. It is about understanding the hard parts, dropping the shame, and recognizing the strengths that too often go unseen.

You’ll learn:

  • Why the ADHD brain struggles to choose what deserves attention
  • How to reduce conflict around routines, schoolwork, and everyday responsibilities
  • Ways to support emotional regulation without shaming or escalating
  • How to recognize and nurture the creativity, energy, and strengths of an ADHD mind
  • What parents can do when the strategies that “should” work simply don’t

Come for the tried-and-true strategies and stay for the stories. Reserve your free spot using code SAKSCHL for the live Zoom Talk and get access to the recording to watch anytime.

#SaklanParentEd #SaklanPA

Upcoming Parent Education Events

Parenting today comes with endless advice, but finding trusted support can be harder than ever. Saklan is thrilled to partner with ParentMap again this year to bring parents together for live online discussions featuring leading experts on the most pressing parenting issues, from ADHD and mental health to EdTech and resilience. 

The ParentMap Talks series kicks off on Sept. 24 with New York Times bestselling authors and viral content creators The Holderness Family, who will share stories and strategies from their book “ADHD is Awesome: How to (Mostly) Thrive with ADHD.”

Register now to unlock all eight live Zoom talks, plus on-demand access to the entire library of recordings to watch anytime, anywhere for free. To claim your complimentary tickets ($80 value), sign up here and enter promo code SAKSCHL. 

2026-2027 Speaker Lineup

ADHD Is Awesome: How to (Mostly) Thrive With ADHD
With Penn and Kim Holderness, viral creators and New York Times bestselling authors
Sept. 24, 2026, noon–1 p.m. PT

Human Raised: Helping Kids Flourish in the Age of AI
With Dana Suskind, pediatric surgeon and New York Times bestselling author
Oct. 15, 2026, noon–1 p.m. PT

When EdTech Disrupts Learning: How Parents Can Speak Up
With Emily Cherkin, M.Ed., The Screentime Consultant
Nov. 10, 2026, noon–1 p.m. PT

Raising Capable Kids: Are We Helping Our Children Too Much?
With Lenore Skenazy, author of “Free-Range Kids” and co-founder of Let Grow
Jan. 21, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT

Less Awkward: How to Handle Growing Up, From Early Signs to Hard Questions 
With Dr. Cara Natterson, pediatrician and bestselling author 
Feb. 9, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT

Growing Good Humans: Raising Kind Kids in a Divided World
With Uju Asika, bestselling author and global speaker 
March 10, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT

Parent Without the Panic: Worry Less and Trust Yourself More 
With Dr. Michael Milobsky, board-certified pediatrician and father of seven
April 20, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT

The Motherhood Trap: Why You Feel Like You’re Failing — and Why You’re Not
With Reshma Saujani, Time 2026 Woman of the Year and founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First
May 4, 2027, noon–1 p.m. PT

#SaklanParentEd

Wrapped in Gratitude

Teacher Appreciation Week left our faculty and staff feeling wrapped in gratitude, thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of our community.

The week kicked off with thoughtful gifts from the PA, including RUMPL blankets, Uni Body Glow Kits, fresh flowers, and coffee, all warmly received and deeply appreciated. From there, the celebrations continued with a beautiful brunch featuring bagels, donuts, and quiche on Monday, followed by a delicious spread of Mexican food and desserts on Tuesday, bagels and crowd-pleasing burgers and fries on Wednesday, and a delicious potluck of family recipes today.

The week also brought kind notes that brightened the campus and lifted spirits. Each moment reflected the deep appreciation that families have for the educators who support, challenge, and inspire students every day.

We are incredibly grateful to the parents who contributed their time, energy, and creativity to make this week so special. Your generosity not only honors our teachers and staff but also strengthens the sense of connection that makes Saklan such a unique and supportive place to learn and grow.

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanPA

The Family Tech Reset

Hope and Help for Rebuilding Connection

The average kid gets their first smartphone at age 11. By high school, they’re spending seven-plus hours a day on screens. With growing pressure to be constantly online, helping kids establish healthy digital habits is crucial for their well-being.

Andrea Davis, founder of Better Screen Time and mother of five, joins ParentMap and Saklan for a ParentEd Talk on how to create a slow-tech path, strengthen family connection, and raise confident, well-adjusted kids on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 12:00 PM.

RSVP for the event using the button below to receive the event link and the recording.

RSVP To Attend (Promo Code SAKSCHL)

#SaklanParentEd

“Decoding Boys” Parent Ed Talk

The next Parent Ed talk is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22. Due to an unexpected scheduling conflict, Dr. Cara Natterson — pediatrician, The New York Times bestselling author, and one of the country’s most trusted voices on child development — will lead this conversation instead of Richard Reeves.

You may already know Dr. Natterson’s work: she’s the author of “The Care and Keeping of You,” the book series that has helped over six million families navigate growing up. Her book “Decoding Boys” tackles the question at the heart of this session: why boys retreat during adolescence, and what parents can do to stay connected.

As a pediatrician, Dr. Natterson is seeing firsthand how different the landscape is for boys today. Many are coming of age in a world shaped by early exposure to porn, immersive gaming, and constant access to technology, often without the emotional framework to process what they’re experiencing. These forces influence how boys understand themselves and their relationships, often contributing to the withdrawal and shutdown that parents notice during adolescence.

This session will focus on:

  • Why boys go quiet — and what’s actually happening underneath
  • How puberty begins earlier than most parents expect, and what that means
  • Practical ways to keep communication open through adolescence

Use the button below to register for the Zoom webinar. You’ll also gain access to the event recording, so you can watch it anytime, anywhere. 

Decoding Boys RSVP
(Promo code sakschl)

#SakanParentEd #SaklanPA

See You at Taste of Traditions

The Saklan PA warmly invites you to our annual Taste of Traditions Dance & Potluck on Saturday, April 18, from 5:30–8:30 p.m. on the Saklan Sports Court! This event isn’t just open to our current families, but also our newly enrolled families who will be joining Saklan next year.

Expect a fun, relaxing, family-friendly event filled with:

  • A DJ (with song requests!)
  • Glow toys, lights, and a fog machine
  • Delicious food from our community
  • Games, activities, and plenty of time to connect

Bring a favorite family dish or a traditional recipe to share, or simply come as you are. The most important ingredient is YOU, and we can’t wait to gather as a community.

If you’d like to contribute a dish, please sign up using the button below.

Sign Up to bring a dish to share

Come experience Saklan in a whole new light; we hope to see you there for a magical evening under the string lights!

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanPA

Taste of Traditions Dance

Save the date for the 2nd Annual Taste of Traditions Dance and Potluck on Saturday, April 18th. The event will be held from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. on the Saklan Sports Court. All Saklan families are invited to join us for this family-friendly event! 

Special thanks to the Saklan Parent Association for hosting this event. Stay tuned for more information in the April edition of the PA Newsletter.

#SaklanCommunity #SaklanPA

See You Sunday!

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday, March 15th, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. for the PA’s Spring Service Social in the Saklan Pavilion. Light snacks will be provided. Please bring your reusable water bottles. 

Together, we will be assembling kits of food for White Pony Express to distribute to local unhoused neighbors who do not have kitchen appliances.

#SaklanPA #SaklanCompassion

Parent Ed on Tuesday

Saklan is excited to share an opportunity for our community to hear from neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, whose recent congressional testimony has sparked a national conversation about how technology is affecting the way children learn.

On Tuesday, March 10, at 12:00 p.m., Dr. Horvath will present a live, interactive talk titled “The EdTech Wake-Up Call: Rethinking Digital Learning for Kids.” Drawing on the research behind his bestselling book The Digital Delusion, he will explore how excessive technology use can impact children’s attention, memory, and learning.

During the session, Dr. Horvath will share clear, evidence-based insights along with practical strategies that parents and educators can use to support deeper, more meaningful learning both at school and at home.

Reserve your spot here for the live interactive talk using promo code SAKSCHL to attend for free (a $10 value). Registration also includes access to the recording, so you can watch the presentation at your convenience if you are unable to attend live.

We hope you will take advantage of this timely and thought-provoking conversation.

#SaklanParentEd